ARGENTINA: Under an agreement signed with infrastructure manager Trenes Argentinos Infraestructura, army engineers are to undertake studies for providing 1 676 mm gauge on a 60 km section of the 1 435 mm gauge Urquiza network between Zárate and Pilar. This will include new junctions and the design of specialised turnouts as well as double-tracking.
Providing dual gauge would enable trains from the 1 676 mm gauge Mitre route from Córdoba to use the Urquiza alignment between Zárate and Pilar, where they would then join the 1 676 mm gauge San Martín network to reach Buenos Aires.
‘Due to success of previous work, we decided to sign a new agreement’, said Trenes Argentinos Infraestructura President Guillermo Fiad. ‘The army has the latest equipment and specialised personnel, two key elements for undertaking this work.’
In October 2016 the two parties had signed an agreement for the army to undertake studies for track renewals on the 105 km section of the 1 000 mm gauge Belgrano network between Metán and Joaquín V González.
